This invention relates generally to floor duct apparatus useful for the housing and routing of power and signalling lines and cables generally installed during construction of floors and floor elevations of multi-storied office buildings. More particularly, the invention relates to improved floor duct apparatus comprised of a generally continuous length floor cell structure and a plurality of floor fitting or outlet units.
A novel feature of the improved floor cell structure resides in the selective elevation and/or depression of the lengthwise extending segments of the ceiling section of the four-sided cell structure, thereby defining inclined ceiling segments which provide any access port or opening therethrough with both vertical and horizontal dimensional access. The access ports are of sufficient width to provide direct access to each separable channel or trough of a plurality of divisible channels or troughs within the cell structure. Another novel feature of the invention resides in connectible floor fitting or outlet units or means to be fitted with selected ones of the access ports in complementary manner with the inclined ceiling segments, said outlet units including improved assembly of parts and compartmentalized configuration.
The type of floor duct apparatus of consideration herein has an elongated cell structure generally constructed of formed sheet metal casing configured to present cooperating floor, ceiling and side wall sections or members having a rectangular cross-sectional pattern. The cell structure includes interior wall sections to define interior and segregated or separable channels or troughs extending lengthwise of the cell structure. Access to the interior channels is made through a repeating pattern of access ports or openings (apertures) provided in the ceiling wall section of the cell structure. It is known to utilize the cell structure for housing extended or routed cables and lines useful for electrical transmission or power and/or signalling or communication purposes. The routed cables are readily tapped or connected to or terminated by means of spaced apart floor fittings or outlets mountable to the ceiling section at selected ones of the access ports.
One of the disadvantages of the prior art floor duct apparatus resides in the generally flat-like or non-elevated ceiling member which is usually positioned to line in a horizontal plane. The access ports formed from knock-out areas of the ceiling section, also are disposed in the horizontal plane of the ceiling member. The access ports are desirably made large enough to provide access to all interior channels, but the access to the two outer channels of a typical 3-channel configuration is limited to the entrance through a ceiling surface lying in the horizontal plane. Further, the access port usually only partially extends over the side channels. When a cooperating floor outlet is mated with the access port, any access to the two outer channels of the cell structure is then provided through a central opening in the floor outlet which also lies in the horizontal plane in communication with the matched access port. The crowded conditions caused by the routing of many cables within the cell structure further limits the accessibility through the floor outlet and/or access port. It is an advantage to provide increased accessibility to and from the interior channels of the cell structure through the central opening of a floor outlet without increasing the horizontal width of the cell structure or access port or the base size of the floor outlet.
The novel cell structure of the present invention includes a ceiling section having a centrally disposed segment thereof of lowered horizontal elevation with respect to the raised horizontal elevation of the immediately adjacent oppositely disposed side edge portions of the ceiling section. The continuous ceiling portions which interconnect between the raised side edge portions and the lowered centrally disposed portion of the ceiling section define inclined ceiling portions, and the length of the inclined ceiling portions is directly dependent upon the offset vertical distance (altitude) between the raised and/or lowered ceiling portions, and the angle of the incline (measured from the horizontal plane). It is obvious that the central portion of the ceiling section could be raised with respect to the side edge portions of the ceiling section to also define inclined ceiling portions therebetween.
In the configuration shown and described herein, the central ceiling section is lowered with respect to the side edge portions thereof, and the inclined ceiling portions are defined to lie in planes converging toward the center of the cell structure. The access ports are provided to extend from the lowered central ceiling portion, where access is provided to the central interior channel of the cell structure, to the raised side edge ceiling portions, where the access port overlies to a predetermined degree the side interior channels of the cell structure. It is readily apparent that the access ports in the ceiling section lie in two different horizontal planes and an inclined plane interconnecting the same whereby both vertical and horizontal dimensional access is provided to the interior duct channels. The degree of accessibility and/or maneuverability of cables, lines, etc. through an access port provided in an inclined ceiling wall segment is significantly improved over that provided through an access port in a flat-like ceiling section having no incline for the reason that no significant horizontal component of movement is available through the prior art access openings lying solely in the horizontal plane.
Presently known configurations of floor duct fittings or outlets include base members having central openings or passageways, respectively, which are aligned to be placed in communication with the matched access ports. The access ports and central openings of the floor fittings are known to provide entrance into and from the interior channels of the cell structure, allowing passage therethrough of cables, lines, parts, tools, hands of workmen, etc. However, floor outlets which have base members that are relatively deep, or which do not extensively overlie the outer side channels of the cell structure, or which interconnect with ceiling sections which are disposed in only a single horizontal plane, do not permit the degree of accessibility therethrough into the interior cell channels as is generally needed in the present state of the art wherein more and more cables and lines are needed to be routed through a given cell structure and crowded conditions are commonplace. Further, it is important that the routed cables/lines which are brought into a given floor outlet be segregated and/or shielded from each other in order to eliminate potential electrical interference therebetween. A floor outlet unit is provided herein having increased simplicity of assembly of parts and improved compartmentalization whereby the routed cables/lines can be easily segregated.
The improved floor duct outlet of the present invention includes a base member defining a central opening or passageway of complementary dimension and size to the access port with which the floor outlet shall be interconnected so that the access port and central passageway are in direct alignment and communication. Hence, the base member includes a pair of outer edge base portions disposed in a common horizontal plane, a centrally disposed base portion lying in another horizontal plane, either raised or lowered vertically with respect to the outer edge portions thereof, and interconnecting base portions disposed to lie in inclined planes angled to intersect the other horizontally separated base portions, the planes being inclined toward (converging) the vertical plane for the floor outlet and cell structure. The central passageway of the floor outlet complements the access port and extends simultaneously both horizontally and vertically to provide maximum accessibility into the interior cell channels, especially permitting increased accessibility into the outer side channels thereof without unduly enlarging the width of the access port through the ceiling section of the cell.
An additional disadvantage of prior art cell structure is to provide centered access ports which commonly open into all interior cell channels of a multiple cell channel configuration. In a triple channel configuration, the central channel is commonly utilized as the power channel, that is, the high power carrying cables are routed therein. It is best to provide isolation to this central power channel unless direct access is needed thereto; hence, the access ports of the present cell configuration include a pair of ports directly opening into the side cell channels, but the centrally disposed ceiling wall section includes a pre-punched knockout area which can be removed in those circumstances wherein access is desired to the power channel. The improved floor fitting of the present invention provides for the continued isolation of the routed power line therethrough and provides a double duplex type outlet. It is apparent that some floor outlets will present connections only to signalling or communication lines.
A further disadvantage of the prior art derives from the non-uniformity of floor fittings or outlets wherein a variety of component parts are stock piled on the construction site for installation of several types of floor fittings. The component parts are utilized to provide isolation between power and signalling lines, and also for making a proper fit of different floor fittings to the central access port.
In contrast thereto, the present invention provides an economical, factory installable floor cell and outlet system, custom made to the particular floor duct plans of the building under construction. The improved floor duct cell and outlet system provides improved accessibility through enlarged cell access ports and complementarily enlarged central openings for the floor fittings, improved modular construction for the floor outlets presenting segregated routing therethrough for power cables and signalling lines, double duplex electrical connections at each and every floor outlet unit, and selective knock-out areas in the ceiling member above the power channel in order to isolate or select the power connection as required.